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7/13/2013 - Salmoncon 2013

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It's early Saturday Morning at Valley Camp in North Bend, WA and coolness rests over the group. It's Salmoncon 2013 and the fun is starting.
I find this event very enjoyable as it represents great approaches to portable low power amateur radio solutions.
Fom the traditional CW operations through the newer Digital Modes, there is a little bit for everyone. I rode in with Doug (K7IP) and was greeted warmly by Thom (K7FZO).
The days activities started with a multi-transmitter rabbit hunt. All of which were setup on a single frequency but beaconed with different identifiers allowing for individual tracking. It was a great time to watch individuals having fun trying to locate these little hidden gems.
As I type this, I'm listening a debrief of the current state of the Elecraft KX-3 by Rich (AC7MA) on both the software and hardware enhancements that are rolling out. What is cool about this rig is the conceptual approach. It's tiny foot print along with the software definment allows for performance that rivals many of the "big" commercial rigs. I recommend taking a look at the specifications for yourself.
Also enjoyable at this event is getting hands on experience on the different station setups. This allows for you to experience different radios on different antenna systems. Speaking of which, there is a diverse approaches to portable antennas here. From Magnetic Loops to Buddipole setups and of course the nice tri-bander on the tower. This makes for the curious to experience how these approaches measure up to each other. Cool huh?
I have pictures posted at http://www.kg7hq.wetnet.net/node/320
Well, I am going stop typing and start playing. After all, this is Ham Radio!